Going sugar free!

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Hey everyone!

This March, I've decided to cut out sugar from my diet. Cookies, cakes, chocolate, ice cream, parfaits, candy and sweet coffees are all kicked OUT of my diet! The only sugar I'm allowed is from fruits.

I've also cut out dairy. Dairy is controversial as to whether or not it's healthy, but my main reason is because I've discovered it's causing my skin to break out. It's amazing actually how quickly my skin cleared up after I cut out dairy... I encourage anyone with acne problems to try eliminating all dairy from their diet for a couple weeks and see if it makes a difference! It's such a relief to no longer be fighting with my skin.

I've made a blog about my new lifestyle (as we know, it's not really a diet so much as a lifestyle change!) and I would love it if I could get some support! Right now it's pretty easy because my motivation is high, but I know eventually I'll get tired of this and start craving cookies again. And I don't want to end up making cookies one night where only half the batch makes it to the oven. I want those days to be over!

Has anyone else cut out sugar from their diet? How is that going? I'd love to hear from you about your own lifestyle changes that required you to eliminate something you felt you needed everyday. Thanks for reading!

I'm going to try and post every day on my blog with motivational pictures, quotes, posts about my progress and how it's going. Tomorrow is my one week mark of no sugar! My blog is http://baabaabetsy.tumblr.com/

Thanks for reading!

P.S. Feel free to add me as a friend here :)

Replies

  • Runningnorth
    Runningnorth Posts: 38 Member
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    If you want some help try googling "I quit sugar" The woman who wrote the ebook is very helpful with a few good tips to get you sugar free without out much pain. Good luck, you will be shocked at how sweet things are once you take out sugar in your diet. I did this for a couple months and it really helped me get rid of my sweet tooth. I now eat a diet that is almost sugar free out 80%, and in the 20% is fruit.

    I don't get my slump at 3 anymore. I have more energy. I don't have cravings. It is all about adding natural fats back into your diet. Don't be scared when you read her book, I did it and still lost weight, whole milk, eggs, nuts. You just don't need to eat a ton of it.

    Good luck!!!!!
  • baabaabetsy
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    Thanks a lot Runningnorth! That's so awesome that you've cut out sugar too! I hope I can stick with this and only get sugar in the form of fruit from here on out.

    I have checked out her site briefly before, but never in depth. I'll take another look at it because it'd be helpful to have some tips from someone who has already done this successfully.
  • darcyinmo
    darcyinmo Posts: 129 Member
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    I've been trying to cut sugar out except for fruits, and danged if I still go over on sugars every day! Watch out for those hidden sugars! They seem to hide everywhere! Since you're cutting dairy, it might not be so bad. I noticed that even by baby carrots had sugar in them - (sneaky! I'm telling ya!)

    Best of luck! I will check out your blog!
  • lyndalpn
    lyndalpn Posts: 151 Member
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    I cut the sugar out last June and never looked back. Friend me here or check out my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/leangreenandhealthy

    Be strong! You can do this :)

    Lyndal xx
  • S_U_M_M_E_R
    S_U_M_M_E_R Posts: 220
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    Hey everyone!

    This March, I've decided to cut out sugar from my diet. Cookies, cakes, chocolate, ice cream, parfaits, candy and sweet coffees are all kicked OUT of my diet! The only sugar I'm allowed is from fruits.

    I've also cut out dairy. Dairy is controversial as to whether or not it's healthy, but my main reason is because I've discovered it's causing my skin to break out. It's amazing actually how quickly my skin cleared up after I cut out dairy... I encourage anyone with acne problems to try eliminating all dairy from their diet for a couple weeks and see if it makes a difference! It's such a relief to no longer be fighting with my skin.

    I've made a blog about my new lifestyle (as we know, it's not really a diet so much as a lifestyle change!) and I would love it if I could get some support! Right now it's pretty easy because my motivation is high, but I know eventually I'll get tired of this and start craving cookies again. And I don't want to end up making cookies one night where only half the batch makes it to the oven. I want those days to be over!

    Has anyone else cut out sugar from their diet? How is that going? I'd love to hear from you about your own lifestyle changes that required you to eliminate something you felt you needed everyday. Thanks for reading!

    I'm going to try and post every day on my blog with motivational pictures, quotes, posts about my progress and how it's going. Tomorrow is my one week mark of no sugar! My blog is http://baabaabetsy.tumblr.com/

    Thanks for reading!

    P.S. Feel free to add me as a friend here :)
    I reduced fake sugar or processed sugar to 12g a day a few summers ago. That means, if it came in a package, can or bottle I counted it. If it was a fruit or veggie, I didn't count it. Women can have 100g of natural sugars a day, but I had far less, bc I only ate one fruit a day. Women should have 6g or under of processed sugar. I did 12g, but many times I stayed at around 6g. I lost 18 lbs in 5 weeks. I also didn't eat bread or breading or crackers, bc they process in the body as a sugar. Although the package on bread said "2g" it is still different bc of the way our bodies process it. I want to do this again. I have since gone back to eating sugar and the weight came back. This was the easiest weight I ever lost. BTW, I think you know this, but dairy has sugar in it too. I know you cut it bc of your skin, but it is a high sugar food. I'm going to go back to low sugar. Easiest weight I ever lost.
  • baabaabetsy
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    Wow you guys are great! I'm so happy to hear that other people have done this too and that it's made such a big difference.

    darcyinmo -- I have noticed that a lot of food that I did expect to have sugar DOES have quite a bit in it--for example, I just made split pea soup and a single serving has 10 grams! Who knew?

    lydalpn -- Thanks for the facebook page! I liked it :) It'll help keep me going!

    S_U_M_M_E_R -- That's incredible that you lost so much weight and you're saying it was EASY! I hope I can say the same in 5 weeks :) I did read about how some carbs are processed as sugar, so I do my best to keep away from grains as well. I recently bought the book Wheat Belly so I'm going to read that and hopefully learn more about the way grains are processed in our bodies. And I haven't put a limit on how much sugar I eat though I try and keep it out of the red on MFP lol. As for dairy, I'm really motivated to keep it out of my diet because as soon as I have a little BAM new zit lol. So that'll be one easy way to keep sugars out!
  • S_U_M_M_E_R
    S_U_M_M_E_R Posts: 220
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    Wow you guys are great! I'm so happy to hear that other people have done this too and that it's made such a big difference.

    darcyinmo -- I have noticed that a lot of food that I did expect to have sugar DOES have quite a bit in it--for example, I just made split pea soup and a single serving has 10 grams! Who knew?

    lydalpn -- Thanks for the facebook page! I liked it :) It'll help keep me going!

    S_U_M_M_E_R -- That's incredible that you lost so much weight and you're saying it was EASY! I hope I can say the same in 5 weeks :) I did read about how some carbs are processed as sugar, so I do my best to keep away from grains as well. I recently bought the book Wheat Belly so I'm going to read that and hopefully learn more about the way grains are processed in our bodies. And I haven't put a limit on how much sugar I eat though I try and keep it out of the red on MFP lol. As for dairy, I'm really motivated to keep it out of my diet because as soon as I have a little BAM new zit lol. So that'll be one easy way to keep sugars out!
    I want to correct one thing. I am sorry I said it was easy. It was super hard at first. I would walk past cookies in Walgreens and literally drool like a dog. I ate sugar free sweets for a few days until the sugar detoxed from my body. I should have said, I was shocked at how fast the weight came off and it was the fastest I have ever lost weight and thus the easiest.
  • baabaabetsy
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    Thanks for the clarification... the only way I don't drool in the supermarket is by staying away from those aisle and not looking! Maybe one day I'll be able to walk by without craving the sweets in the supermarket. Did you get to that point?
  • lyndalpn
    lyndalpn Posts: 151 Member
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    I am at that point now. I cant stand things that have artiifical sweeteners in them... not because of the artificial taste, but because they are so sweet. If someone in the house is eating chocolate and I think I might want some I have a smell of it - and the sweet sickly smell turns me right off. Its been 8 months for me now and I honestly dont miss any of it at all. :)
  • mschickiepoo
    mschickiepoo Posts: 91 Member
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    I'm also trying to go sugar free, and I was reading a label on one of the things I normally would have grabbed to snack on - it's supposedly quite healthy........... and I didn't think it was that sweet. Second ingredient ......sugar. Funny how some things that we find in the health food section, you just assume they are better for you. I looked at the calories.......but that was it. So much learning and mental processing to do. I can't believe how blind I've been all these years. CRAZY!

    Artificial sweeteners are even worse than sugar for your body. Everything has GMO's. Cows, chickens, pigs, fish are all given crap. Hard to eat healthy these days without raising your own meat and growing your own veggies.

    Sorry.............. lack of sugar has made me a bit testy. I apologize (getting off of my sugar-free soap box)! :flowerforyou:
  • baabaabetsy
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    Today is day seven of my sugar free diet! Yesterday I went to a birthday party where they served a chocolate cake! I would have liked some, but I actually didn't feel like I was really missing out or that I DESPERATELY wanted some. What a good feeling.

    lyndalpn -- That is incredible! EIGHT months?! I hope I can get to that point where the smell of sweets turns me off. At least to the point to where I have no desire for sweets at all.

    mschickipoo -- lol I totally agree! Maybe because I'm grouchy from lack of sugar too! I am hoping that once I return home from Japan (where I'm currently living and where they don't allow GMOs as far as I know) back to the US I can buy meat and produce locally. Anything is better than commercialized food with all sorts of disgusting stuff added to it or fed to it.
  • Runningnorth
    Runningnorth Posts: 38 Member
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    I found chai tea a nice treat. I would do it with whole milk, tea bag, and a splash of vanilla (sugar free) and some cinnamon and that got me through the moments when I was really craving it. I really leaned on sugar when I was sleep deprived with my young babies, once they started to sleep I knew that I need to kick the habit. Now I can take it or leave it. I am steady, I can walk away from cake or I can have a nibble but I don't crave it like I use to. After a couple months, I am happy to only have something sweet once and awhile. I remember having my sons birthday and not wanting cake, it was a great feeling. The best thing is if you do try something it is soooo sweet that you don't want much. Good luck, stay strong. It is worth it. Eat whole foods and it is easier to stay away from sugar. Try berries and stone fruit they are lower in sugar as well